Life of Lancaster man with a passion for Scouting honoured at funeral service

They formed a guard of honour for Derek Holt, who died at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on July 30, aged 88.

Derek brought his passion for Scouting from his birthplace of Heywood, Greater Manchester, to help establish the 34th Lancaster (St Chad's) Scout Group at Skerton in 1965 and became Group Scout Leader and later President.

He was one of those rare people to be awarded the Bar to the Silver Acorn for 60 years of especially distinguished service to Scouting.

He was invited to St George's Day parades at Windsor Castle on two occasions, once when the Queen attended.

After education at Bury Tech, Derek joined the Co-operative Wholesale Society aged 16 for a career as a sales representative that lasted 42 years.

He later worked at Lancaster City Museum.

He did his national service from 1949 to 1952 with the RAF at Spurn Point, East Yorkshire, as a fighter plotter.

Another major passion from an early age was cricket and, after moving to Lancaster in 1962, Derek played for Caton and later Torrisholme, where he became Club Chairman.

A keen season ticket holder at Morecambe Football Club, nothing gave him more pleasure than when he went to Wembley to see his beloved Shrimps promoted to the Football League.

Derek became a highly-respected Chairman of Lancaster Magistrates at the end of his 31 years' service as a Justice of the Peace.

Back in 1968 he rescued a boy from drowning in the sea at Bare and received the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society award.

At St Chad's Church he served as church warden for several years in the church's early days in the 1960s, as Vice-Chairman of the Parochial Church Council and as first Chairman of the Men's Fellowship.

Derek was a hugely proud family man. His widowed father Edward also spent the end of his life in Lancaster.

An only child, Derek married Hilda Booth in Heywood in 1955. She survives him with three daughters, two sons, 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

The service, which took place on August 19, Derek's 89th birthday, was conducted by the Rev Yvonne Wilson.

In a eulogy, colleague and friend Alan Sandham JP said Derek gave long and loyal voluntary service to the community with ultimate dedication, commitment and leadership.

Donations in Derek's memory are going to St John's Hospice, Lancaster.